Despite having a successful liver transplant in January, his new liver also began to fail

Biliary atresia is a condition that affects the liver.

Before birth, the bile ducts develop abnormally and then shortly after birth become inflamed or obstructed.

This eventually causes a complete blockage of bile flow from the liver and causes it to be become badly scarred and unable to function properly.

WHAT IS BILIARY ATRESIA?

Biliary atresia is a condition that affects the liver. Before birth, the bile ducts develop abnormally and then shortly after birth become inflamed or obstructed. This eventually causes a complete blockage of bile flow from the liver and leads to be being badly scarred and unable to function.

Symptoms:

jaundice

pale poo

dark coloured wee

Treatment:

The cause of the condition is not yet known, which makes it difficult to treat. If biliary atresia is confirmed then this will be followed by a “Kasai procedure”, usually done under the same general anaesthetic at the same time. A Kasai procedure allows the bile ducts to be pypassed in order to prevent build-up of bile and scarring to the liver. In some cases a transplant is needed.

Just a few days before he passed away his dad, Paul, posted a heartbreaking message on Facebook saying his son’s condition was getting worse and it “looked like he was giving up”.

Shortly after, Paul and Jess made the incredibly difficult decision to tell doctors not to act if their baby boy went into cardiac arrest as they didn’t want him to suffer any longer.

He wrote: “Over the past few days Connor’s blood pressure has got a lot worse and the PICU team are finding more and more difficult to bring it back up.

“Lots of tests have been done to try and find what’s happening but they are not 100 per cent clear.

“His brain is getting worse and having seen him today he’s nowhere near as responsive as he was last week.

“It breaks my heart to say but it looks as if he’s given up and has had enough.